Members of the Strawman™ team are based in the United Kingdom. Strawman™ address is:

Orchard Lea,

Horns Lane,

Combe,

Witney,

Oxfordshire,

OX29 8NH,

United Kingdom

Why Strawman Limited was formed?

To relieve you of the time and work in finding a name to front the opposition on behalf of your client. For a lay person, the entire concept of lending his or her name in the patent forum is daunting. Strawman™ will make the process quicker, easier and safer.

Who is Strawman Limited?

Strawman™ has been set up by a team comprising a UK lawyer and a person with company experience who has already provided a name to front an opposition.

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Should you have any questions or queries please use the contact form below and we will do our best to respond to you within 24 hours.

European Patents & Oppositions

Patents are a monopoly right in the sense that they give to the patent owner the right to stop others from practicing or using products, processes etc. that fall within the scope of the claims of the patent.

Every year, the European Patent Office grants thousands of European patents for different types of inventions. These European patents may have an effect in a number of the European member states. Currently there are 18 states - but that number is likely to increase in the next few years.

Companies or individuals have an automatic right to challenge European patents of others.

A challenge - which is called an opposition - has to be mounted within 9 months of grant of a European patent.

Typically an opposition is prepared and filed by a European Patent Attorney.

In the first instance, oppositions are examined by the Opposition Divisions of the European Patent Office (EPO).

When filing the opposition it is a requirement to provide the name of an opponent.

The opponent cannot be the proprietor of the European patent that is to be challenged.

However, the opponent can be someone acting on behalf of another party. This is because the Enlarged Board of Appeal of the European Patent Office in their landmark judgment of G3/97 (EPO Official Journal Volt 5 1999 pages 245 - 330) held:

"An opposition [to a European Patent] is not inadmissible purely because the person named as opponent according to Rule 55(a) EPC is acting on behalf of a third party [even if the person named as the opponent is a straw man]"